Lena Dunham Understands Why Lack of Diversity on “Girls” Was 'Really Disappointing to People'
- - - Lena Dunham Understands Why Lack of Diversity on “Girls” Was 'Really Disappointing to People'
Carson BlackwelderJuly 8, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Mark Seliger/HBO
(L-R) Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Lena Dunham and Zosia Mamet on 'Girls'
Lena Dunham opened up about the lack of diversity on her hit show Girls during a new interview
Dunham, who created and starred in the series, said she now understands why it was "really disappointing to people"
Girls ran for six seasons between 2012 and 2017 and also featured Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet
Lena Dunham is reflecting on one of the most enduring criticisms of her hit show Girls.
The 39-year-old — who created the series, on which she starred as Hannah — addressed the lack of diversity in the cast throughout the show's six-season run on HBO from 2012 to 2017 while speaking with The Independent.
"I think one of the profound issues around Girls was that there was so little real estate for women in television that if you had a show called Girls, which is such a monolithic name, it sounds like it's describing all the girls in all the places," Dunham explained.
"And so if it's not reflecting a multitude of experiences, I understand how that would be really disappointing to people," she added.
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Lena Dunham on 'Girls'Girls centered around four women living in New York City during their 20s, charting the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives.
Hannah's circle of friends included Allison Williams' Marnie, Jemima Kirke's Jessa and Zosia Mamet's Shoshanna.
In addition to the titular group of girls, the show also starred Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky and Andrew Rannells.
Girls often made headlines when it cast actors of color, with Donald Glover, Greta Lee, Danielle Brooks, Jessica Williams, Natalie Morales and Riz Ahmed to name a few.
Dunham also told The Independent she "liked the conversation around Girls" and noted that it impacted her new show, Too Much.
With Girls having premiered over a decade ago, Dunham said it was her goal to ensure that Too Much was more inclusive.
"The thing I have really come to believe is that one of the most important things is not just diversity in front of the camera, but it's diversity behind the camera," she said.
Justin Palmer/Getty
Lena Dunham at a screening of 'Too Much' in London on June 23, 2025
"As a producer," Dunham continued, "one of my goals is to bring a lot of different voices into a position where they can tell their story."
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Too Much stars Megan Stalter as Jessica, a woman who moves to London after a breakup, vowing to live a life of solitude, only to fall for Felix (Will Sharpe) and reconsider love.
Too Much drops July 10 on Netflix.
on People
Source: AOL Entertainment
